Sponson tow plate-mounted helicopter armament apparatus and associated methods

Abstract

External armament apparatus, including a machine gun, an associated ammunition box for supplying belted ammunition to the gun, a flare dispenser, a missile launcher or other external stores apparatus, and a forward looking infrared sensor (FLIR), is exteriorly supported on a landing gear sponson tow plate of a helicopter, adjacent a cabin area gunner's window. The external mounting of the gun and other armament apparatus frees up cabin space, permits the gunner's window to be closed with the gun in a ready position, and permits a 0.50 caliber machine gun to be used an alternative to either a 7.62 mm mini-gun or a single barrel 7.62 mm machine gun adjacent the gunner's window.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. Armament apparatus for an aircraft, comprising: 
       a landing gear structure;  
       an elongated support arm having a lower end anchored to said landing gear structure, and an upper end positioned at a higher level than said lower end;  
       a machine gun support structure mounted on said upper end of said support arm for azimuth rotation relative thereto about a generally vertical axis, and elevation rotation about a generally horizontal axis; and  
       an elevation limiting structure associated with said machine gun support structure and operative to variably limit the available elevation rotation arc magnitude of said machine gun support structure in response to azimuth rotation thereof.  
     
     
       2. The armament apparatus of  claim 1  wherein: 
       said landing gear structure includes a tow plate, and  
       said lower end of said support arm is anchored to said tow plate.  
     
     
       3. The armament apparatus of  claim 2  wherein: 
       said aircraft is a helicopter.  
     
     
       4. The armament apparatus of  claim 1  wherein: 
       said machine gun support structure is pivotable through an azimuth arc having first and second portions, and  
       said elevation limiting structure is operative to provide different available elevational arc magnitudes for said machine gun support structure in each of said first and second azimuth arc portions.  
     
     
       5. The armament apparatus of  claim 4  wherein: 
       said elevation limiting structure is operative, in response to azimuth rotation of said machine gun support structure to provide a different downward rotation limit for said machine gun support structure in each of said first and second azimuth arc portions.  
     
     
       6. The armament apparatus of  claim 5  wherein: 
       said machine gun support structure is a cradle assembly,  
       said armament apparatus further includes a yoke assembly underlying said cradle assembly, said cradle assembly being secured to said yoke assembly and pivotable relative thereto about said generally horizontal axis, a vertical post structure secured to said upper end of said support arm and having a horizontal azimuth stop plate portion, said yoke assembly being secured to said post structure and being pivotable relative thereto about said generally vertical axis, and  
       said elevation limiting structure includes an elevation limiting member carried by said yoke assembly for vertical movement relative thereto, in response to rotation of said yoke assembly about said generally vertical axis, between first and second positions in which said elevation limiting member variably blocks downward pivotal movement of said yoke assembly.  
     
     
       7. The armament apparatus of  claim 6  wherein: 
       said azimuth stop plate portion has an upper side with a ramped cam track disposed thereon,  
       said elevation limiting member has a lower rolling portion engaging said track, and  
       said elevation limiting structure further includes a spring member resiliently biasing said elevation limiting member downwardly toward said upper side of said azimuth stop plate portion.